yum cha @ home

Living in a country town, the concept of yum cha is quite foreign and if it isn't foreign it will cost you double what you would get in the city.

So I thought.. why not give it a crack at home.

After this experience... well dumpling making is certainly something to do on a rainy day. It does take some time to make, but certainly rewarding. Please note - my recipe is definitely a lot of taste and adjust if need be.

Chicken + prawn dumplings

With my made-up soy/oyster sauce

Chicken and prawn dumplings (makes ~30)

Ingredients

6-8 prawns - shelled and deveined

~300g chicken mince

~20 x sliced water chestnuts - diced

1.5 tblspoon grated ginger

1/2 bunch chopped chives

1 tsp rock sugar - may need to break up with meat hammer

~1 tspoon cornflour

1/2 tspoon White pepper 

1 tsp Salt

2 tbspoon sesame oil

wonton wrappers

Method

1. Food process the prawns until just blended. Change the blade to the dough mixing blade. 
2. Add the chicken mince, diced water chestnuts, ginger, chives, sugar and cornflour to the prawns and mix. 
3. Add salt, pepper, and sesame oil to the mixture. Mix again.This should look like a gloopy, mixture that you could mould into shape. Now you are ready to put the filling in! See Baking powders for details how to fold 
4. Lightly brush the wonton wrappers each side with corn flour. Cut out a circle using a egg ring/cookie cutter ~10cm in diameter.
5. Using a teaspoon, scoop a teaspoon of mixture into the centre of the wonton wrapper.
6. Brush a little water around half the diameter of the wonton wrapper, fold across and pleat each side. 
7. Bring water to boil and place steaming basket on top.
8. Once water boiled, lower heat to simmer and place dumplings inside
9. This will take about 8-10minutes to cook. You will be able to tell when the dumpling skins become translucent.

Soy sauce


Ingredients
1/4cup soy sauce
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp rock sugar
2 chillies
1 spring onion
2 tbs canola oil


Heat up oil to medium heat. Add chillies and spring onions.
Lower heat to simmer. Add sugar, soy sauce and oyster sauce and let simmer until caramelises. This will take a few minutes.